By Hannah Kacarka – Spear Reporter | SJSU senior outside hitter Naima Foster goes up for a kill against UC Berkeley on Sept. 20, 2026. (Marilyn-Bride Anye – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State women’s volleyball team lost to the Air Force Academy (5-7, 1-0 MW) in a three-set match Thursday night in Colorado, dropping its league record to 5-7 after the Spartans couldn’t convert key momentum plays into set wins.
The defining factor was the Spartans’ service pressure, which wasn’t enough to slow the quick and clean transition plays happening on the other side of the net.
The Falcons applied enough service pressure to force 9 aces and out-of-system plays on the Spartans’ side.
When the Spartans found a swing off poor first contacts, it extended rallies and led to points, but the team still struggled to execute on crucial plays because of unforced errors.
This cost them the second set after three consecutive hitting errors in the set’s final moments.
However, senior right-side hitter Devon DeNecochea kept the Falcons on their toes throughout the match, hitting .333 with 7 kills to lead the Spartans while also bringing the energy on and off the court.
The Spartans will get a rematch with the Falcons at noon on Saturday in USAFA, Colorado.
